<div class="quote_poster">Quoting 44Thrilla:</div><div class="quote_post">I really don't have a problem with homosexuals, but I think gay "marriage" is wrong. If people out there choose to be gay, then nothings stopping them, but the government should never recognize them as a "married" couple.
Recognizing them in that way indirectly accepts their relationship as a normal one, even though the gay lifestyle is and always should be an alternative lifestyle. I fully believe that homosexuality is not an innate characteristic. I think it's merely a culture that some people choose to be a part of. These people's minds allow them to enjoy an abnormal activity such as gay intercourse, so they lead a gay lifestyle.
Marriage is the union of a man and a woman. Just because certain people decide they aren't attracted to the opposite sex doesn't mean they should be afforded the same rights and privileges as normal people. Nobody is asking them to become straight, they just shouldn't have their relationships recognized by the government as official "marriages", and definitely shouldn't be allowed to raise children as is they are a "family".</div>
Of course the problem with that is that the government would be indirectly promoting a certain type of lifestyle, culture, and set of moral values. That defeats the point of freedom of choice and values. What would "normal" be? What the majority of the population accepts? If that were the case, wouldn't we just be marginalizing the opinions of minorities and people with different viewpoints?
You can't have it both ways, in my opinion. If you allow homosexuals to live in your society, then you have to grant them all of the rights of every other citizen. I find people tend to bring their own preferences and morals into this legal issue. I myself am not homosexual and find the concept kind of disgusting. But, I can't justify imposing my own beliefs onto others in a democratic society. The idea of picking and choosing what gays are allowed to do is the worst part too. It reminds me of apartheid in South Africa, where blacks were allowed to live as citizens but shoved off to specific, non-urban, locations and only given certain freedoms. Obviously its not too that extent, but if we start awarding fundamental freedoms and rights based on how well a person fits in, we are betraying the whole idea of freedom of opinion and choice in democracy. Everyone has a part of their life that is not of the majority, whether it concerns religion, race, relationships, politics, etc. I don’t see denying gays their right to marry being any different than punishing the minority in any of those categories.
Plus, marriage ain't all its cracked up to be. Let gays deal with the nagging and arguments of marriage and I bet they'll long for the days that they didn't have to commit. (j/k)
